A few people have asked me about Labour Governments and covert action.

Here’s a v concise history.

TL;DR Labour did it too

1/8

Attlee:

Cautious. Banned subversion behind Iron Curtain. Sanctioned op in Albania (not liberation). Sanctioned subversion in Iran, paving the way for 1953 coup

Check out: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intelligence-security-Attlee-governments-1945-51/dp/0719099145

2/8

Wilson 1964:

- Inherited large scale ops in Yemen and Indonesia. Intensified both.
- Continued covert political action in Latin America.
- Covert action against Rhodesia.
-Expanded black propaganda project targeting Russia and China

3/8

Wilson 1974:

- Briefly continued inherited op against South Yemen. (And in Oman)
- Discussion of killing Idi Amin (rejected by MI6).
- Closed down covert propaganda in foreign office

4/8

Callaghan:

Unclear. Seemed to sanction covert political action re Greece & EEC. Considered coup in pre-revolutionary Iran. Discussed covert op in Ethiopia

(files are sparse)

5/8

Blair:

Considered coup (late 2001) to overthrow Saddam Hussein rather than invasion. + lots of SF

6/8

Brown:

increased covert/unattributable propaganda against terrorism

@IanCobain has written lots on this

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/how-book-cold-war-propaganda-inspired-british-counter-terror-campaign

7/8

Conclusion:

Covert action appeals to PMs from both parties. They see it as a means of maximising influence / protecting status quo at (perceived) minimal cost.

Covert action supposedly plugs a gap between U.K. capability and ambition.

8/8